Rebecca “Becky” Anderson and a
team of Western North Carolinians created HandMade in America. She was founding
director of the organization, which established a craft-focused economy for 25
counties in the state. It became a cultural heritage model for National
Heritage Areas, and a model for 16 state programs.

Prior to founding Handmade,
Becky Anderson was also Director of: Community Development, Land of Sky
Regional Planning Council, served as Director of Economic Development for the
Ashville, NC Chamber of Commerce, and as Director of Economic Development for
the city of Ashville. In 2000 Anderson was named among U.S. News and World
Report’s list of the United States top 20 visionaries.